Husking roller



H. SIEMEN HUSKING ROLLER Filed June 8. 1951 iT'l" IIm In? I N V EN TOR.ga /er /7. .fifMf HUSKING norms Application June 8, 1951, erial No.239,467

Claims. (Cl. 13il-5) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in rollers adapted for use on various types of machinery, such ascorn shredders, pickers and the like. More particularly it relates torollers for use in conjunction with Dearborn-Wood Bros. corn huskers andother similar corn picking and harvesing machinery.

In corn pickers, huskers, etc. similar to the Dearborn- Wood Bros. typeof corn picker manufactured by Dearborn Motors Corporation, Detroit 3,Michigan, the corn husking rollers consist of a plurality of rubberrollers each inclined and cooperating with steel, wooden, or otherrollers of relatively non-compressible material. During operation, itfrequently happens in a corn husker of this type that a corn nubbin orsimilar structure will pass partially through and between. such rollersand being too large in diameter to pass entirely through. As a result,the nubbin will be held inthe same position while the rollers arerapidly turning and rapidly wearing away the rubber on the roller untilall of the rubber has been worn away and the eifectiveness of the rollerhas been destroyed.

In addition, the type of corn husker such as the Dearborn-Wood Bros.type has a metal plate extending transversely across and above the lowerends of the rollers to facilitate the movement of the corn ears over thearea where the rollers are journaled. I have found, however, that smallcars of corn, nubbins, etc. work their way between the rollers andbeneath such plate and lodge in such position. As a result the rubberwill be entirely burned off its carrier shaft or sleeve in that area andthe efliciency of the roller in that area will be thereby destroyed sothat the rollers will not perform a proper husking operation.

It is a general object of my invention to provide novel and improvedrollers for use on various types of machinery such as corn shredders,corn pickers, and the like.

A more specific object is to provide a novel and improved roller of theclass described constructed to positively progress thereacross the cornears or other material normally carried by such rollers.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved roller of the classdescribed constructed to positively prevent excessive wear in a localarea along its length by nubbins, small cars, or the like becominglodged be tween such rollers intermediate their ends.

Another object is to provide a roller having inherent means for movingears, nubbins, and the like rearwardly from beneath the end platecovering the lower end of said rollers and for moving such ears andnubbins into the path of additional downwardly moving material to becarried therewith beyond the ends of the roller.

Another object is to provide a helically recessed roller having aprogresser element disposed within the confines of the recess topositively progress material lengthwise over the roller.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will be moreapparent from the following descripnited States Patent O F 2,737,185Fatented Mar. 6, 1956 ICE 2. tion made in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein like reference" characters refer tosimilar parts throughout the several views and in which Fig. l is asectional view diagrammatically showing a husking section of a cornpicker of the D'earborn-Wood Bros. type with one embodiment of myinvention mounted thereon and shown in side elevation.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of one embodiment of myinvention with a portion thereof broken away.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig.3.

Fig. 1 displays a portion. of a corn picker indicated generally as Phaving a leveling mechanism. M and a plurality of rollers Rtherebeneath. It also discloses these rollers R being driven by gears Gand chains C.

The rollers R are comprised of pairs of rollers one 6 of which is formedof steel, wood, or some other rigid material and the other 7 of which isan embodiment of my invention. Each of these rollers 6 and 7 is mountedon a shaft 8.-

Each of the rollers: 7 which embody my invention is normally mounted inplace for rotation during the husking operations in bearings. 9 and areheld in place at their lower ends by a bearing cap or plate 10 which inturn is secured by a plurality of cap screws 11. The upper ends of theserollers are held in place by a rear bearing cap or plate 12 which inturn is secured by a plurality of cap screws 13. Each of the rollers isdriven by a pin 14 which extends through the upper end portion of itsshaft 8 and engages the roller by means of a slot formed therein as willbe hereinafter described.

A roller which embodies my invention may include, as best shown in Figs.3 and 4, a carrier body or sleeve 15 having mounted thereon in piercedrelation a plurality of discs 16. These discs 16, as shown in Figs. 3and 4, are preferably formed of a rubber impregnated fabric such as isfound in automobile tires and have a relatively irregular peripheraledge 17. As shown, each of these discs are relatively thin with respectto their diameter and each is provided with a diagnonally extendingrecess or groove 18 which is formed in their outer circumferentialportions. These discs 16 are mounted on the sleeve 15 in close compactside by side relationship with respect to each other and are arranged sothat their recesses or grooves 18 communicate with the groove of theadjacent disc to form a helical groove or recess 19 extending around theroller throughout its length. The nature of the material from which thediscs 16 are made is preferably elastic and/or compressible, the fabricbeing incorporated therein to provide added resistance to wear.

The carrier body or sleeve 15 is slightly larger in diameter than thediameter of the shaft 8. The end portions 2%, however, of the roller areenlarged in diameter to enable the rollers to be mounted in theconventional bearings and to reduce the amount of space which wouldordinarily exist between the sleeve 15 and the plate 10 if the sleevewere of the same diameter throughout its length.

circumventing the roller spirally and lying within the helical groove 19is a progresser element 21. As shown I this progresser element 21 may becomprised of a metal strap which is rectangular in cross-sectional shapeand which has an edge 22 adapted for engaging stalks and nubbins whichmay have become lodged between the rollers. The ends of this progresserelement 21, as shown, are secured to the enlarged end portions 2! of therollers as at 23 and at 24. The length of this strap 21 is such that thediscs 16 are each compressed thereby and held immovable relative to eachother and relative to the sleeve 15. Thus it may be readily seen thatthis progresser element 21 integrates the plurality of discs 16 into acomposite laminated roller. This composite roller has formed in thismanner a helically ex ending groove 19 the rearward edge 25 of whichduring rotation is a husk engaging edge. The roller of course will berotated in the direction indicated in Fig. 3 by an arrow.

Mounted on the outer surface of the lower enlarged end portion 21) is adiagonally extending retrogresser element or rib 26. It should be notedthat this rib 26 extends rearwardly from the bottom end of the roller ina direction opposite to the direction in which the progresser element 21extends.

Operation In operation the rollers 7 are caused to rotate by the chain Cand the gears G in the direction indicated in Fig. 3. The cars of cornare normally deposited upon the rollers from above and as they worktheir way toward the lower end of the rollers the husks are removedtherefrom by the rollers. As pointed out previously, it frequentlyoccurs that a nubbin will become lodged between rollers when theconventional type of rollers are used. This is impossible, however, whena roller of the type disclosed herein is used for the progresser element21 will cause the nubbin to be moved downwardly toward the lower end ofthe roller. The edge 22 of the progresser element will engage the nubbinand force it lengthwise of the roller toward its lower end. Thus it canbe readily seen that the progresser element 21. positively prevents anubbln from becoming lodged in any position for any substantial lengthof time and thusly prevents extensive wear on the roller '7. The huskengaging edge 25 of the groove 19 engages the husks and tears them freeof the ears, carrying them downwardly 'between the pairs of rollers.

Whenever a small ear of corn or a nubbin or corn stalk works its waybeneath the plate 1, the retrogresser element or rib 26 engages the sameand thrusts it upwardly and rearwardly, forcing the nubbin into the pathof other downwardly moving ears. In this manner the nubbin will becarried along over the lower end of the roller and in this manner thenubbin is positively prevented from intiicting excessive wear and damageto the compressible portions of the roller.

it is contemplated that the compressible portions of my roller may beconstructed of other compressible material. For example, the discs 1&5may be replaced by a single vulcanized integral piece of rubber. Myprogresser element, so long as it is disposed within the confines of thegroove 19 will operate with equal efficiency regardless of the nature ofthe material from which the compressible portions of the roller aremade. Likewise, the retrogresser element 26 will effectively preventextensive wear to the roller regardless of the manner in which thecompressible portions of the roller are constructed.

Thus it can be readily seen that l have provided a roller whicheffectively eliminates to the most perplexing and damaging problemsexperienced in constructing a roller for husking operations. Byutilizing a retrogress-er element and a progresser element it ispossible to extend the life of a roller very substantially and toconsequently reduce the maintenance costs on huskers using rollers ofthis type.

it will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made inthe form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts withoutdeparting from the scope of my invention.

What I hereby claim is:

l. A husking roller comprising an elongated rigid carrier body adaptedto be mounted for rotation on its longitudinal axis, a laminatedgenerally cylindrical roller body made of resilient material and carriedby said carrier body in surrounding and fixed relation thereto, saidroller body having a recess formed in its outer cylindrical surfaceextending helically therearound, and a metal strap disposed within saidrecess and extending outwardly from the bottom thereof a distance shortof the general cylindrical surface of said roller body to facilitate theprogression of materials carried by said roller body while said carrierbody is rotated, said strap holding the laminates of said roller bodyagainst movement relative to each other and said carrier body.

2. A husking roller having in combination an elongated rigid carrierbody adapted to be mounted for rotation on its longitudinal axis alongan inclined plane, a laminated generally cylindrical roller body carriedby said carrier body in surrounding and fixed relation thereto, saidroller body having a recess formed in its outer cylindrical surfaceextending helically therearound and inwardly from the generalcylindrical surface of said body, an elongated metal strap disposedwithin said recess and extending continuously around said body andoutwardly from the bottom of said recess a distance short of the generalcylindrical surface of said roller body to facilitate the progression oft materials carried by said roller body downwardly while said carrierbody is rotated in a given direction, and a rib element carried by saidcarrier body adjacent the lower end of said roller body and extendingoutwardly and upwardly around said carrier body in a direction oppositeto its direction of rotation to positively engage materials which havebeen moved downwardly over said roller body and lodged adjacent thelower end of said roller body and to move such materials in the oppositedirection into a position where they will be carried substantiallybeyond the lower end of said roller body by additional oncomingdownwardly directed material, saidstrap being connected to said carrierbody and functioning to hold the laminates of said roller body againstmovement relative to each other and relative to said carrier body.

3. A husking roller comprising an elongated rigid carrier body adaptedto be mounted for rotation on its longitudinal axis, a laminatedgenerally cylindrical roller body carried by said carrier body insurrounding and fixed relation with respect to said carrier body, saidroller body having an elongated narrow helical recess formed in itsgeneral cylindrical surface and extending therearound throughout itslength and being comprised of a plurality of rubber impregnated fabricdiscs each being mounted in surrounding relation upon said carrier bodyin registering relation to its adjacent disc and each having a recessformed in its periphery arranged to communicate with the recess of itsadjacent disc to form said elongated recess in the composite rollerbody, and a combined progresser and retainer element disposedprincipally within the confines of said elongated recess and extendingtherealong, said element comprising an elongated metal strap the ends ofwhich are secured to said carrier body, said strap extending outwardlyfrom the bottom of said recess a distance short of the generalcylindrical surface of said body throughout the length. of saidelongated recess and being of such. a. length as to compress each ofsaid discs and retain the same in fixed position with respect to saidcarrier body and to each other.

4. A husking roller having in combination an elongated rigid shaftadapted to be mounted for rotation on its longitudinal axis, a laminatedcomposite generally cylindrical roller body mounted on said shaft insurrounding and fixed relation thereto, said roller body being comprisedof a plurality of rubber impregnated fabric discs carried by said shaftin pierced relation, each of said discs being disposed in registeringrelation with respect to its adjacent discs and each having a narrowrecess formed in its periphery to communicate with the recess of itsadjacent discs to form an elongated narrow helical recess in the generalcylindrical surface of said composite roller body'which extendshelically therearound throughout its length, a combined progresser andretainer element comprising an elongated fiat metal strap extendingthroughout said elongated recess and com pletely within the confinesthereof, said strap extending outwardly from the bottom of said recess adistance short of the general cylindrical surface of said body, the endsof said element being secured to said shaft, said element being of suchlength as to compress each of said discs and retain the same in fixedposition with respect to said shaft and to each other, and aretrogresser element comprising a rigid rib secured to the lower endportion of said shaft and extending outwardly from said shaft anddiagonally with respect to the longitudinal axis of said shaft and inthe opposite direction in which said progresser element extends and inwhich said shaft will be rotated.

5. A husking roller comprising an elongated rigid carrier body adaptedto be mounted for rotation on its longitudinal axis along an inclinedplane, a laminated generally cylindrical roller body carried by saidcarrier body in surrounding and fixed relation thereto, said roller bodyhaving a helically extending recess formed in the generally cylindricalsurface of said body, and a combined progressor and retainer elementdisposed within the confines of said recess and extending therealong inclosefitting relation to the portions of said body defining said recess,said progressor element comprising an elongated strap having an engagingedge thereupon extending outwardly a distance short of the generalcylindrical surface of said body adapted to engage the materials passingover said roller body and thereby facilitate the progression of suchmaterials when said carrier body is rotated, said strap holding thelaminated portions of said roller body against movement relative to eachother and said carrier body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

